Skip to main content

Breaking: Protest in Port Harcourt over murder of lawyer

The civil right activists during the protest

The civil right activists during the protest

Hundreds of human rights activists from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states on Friday held a peaceful demonstration at the headquarters of the Rivers State Police Command over the murder of human rights activist and lawyer, Ken Atsuwete.

The demonstrators called on the police to act fast and bring to book the killers of the human rights lawyer.

Anyakwe Nsirimovu, Director of Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL) said the protest was organized under the auspices of Niger Delta Civil Society Coalition (NDCSC).

The activist revealed that the peaceful procession began with an audience with the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Francis Mobolaji Odesanya.

The protesters wore black T-shirts on black trousers and carried inscriptions like: “End the killings in Rivers”, “Fish out the killers of Ken, “This is one killing too many”, “Enough of Blood Spilling in Rivers”, “Ken’s Blood will Speak”.

One of the conveners of the protest, Charles Jaja said: “We converge to register our displeasure over the murder of Ken. We have come to demand that the killers of Ken be fished out because we cannot allow this to continue to happen in Rivers State. It was Ken that took the Rivers State Government to court over the social levies bill under former Governor Chibuike Amaechi; he also took up my case when I was detained in Port Harcourt Prisons for 11 months probono (free of charge). He fought for widows, Okada riders when former Governor Peter Odili banned them. He had always been there for those whose rights had been violated.”

After the meeting with the Commissioner of Police, the protesters marched to the office of the Department of State Services, DSS, at the old GRA and the Government House, Port Harcourt. After waiting at the gate and no government official came out, they left.

The activists at the gate of the Rivers State Police Command

The activists at the gate of the Rivers State Police Command

Nsirimovu said later, “right to life is precisely why the right to liberty is not only a fundamental condition of democracy, democracy is a condition of liberty.
Just as law is a prerequisite to preserving man and woman’s liberty against infringement by others in the exercise of their liberty, so, democracy is essential to ensure that the law will fulfill that function. That is not happening in Rivers State today. Killers kill with impunity and walk away free. Power is abused simplicita.

”Citizens do not feel secure. The democratic atmosphere does not breed confidence in personal security. The equation is this: Life without liberty, however you define that liberty, is meaningless. Without security, liberty is fiction, and security permeates all levels and all phases of human existence. Without the security to act freely, men and women are not able to act and indeed go about their business freely in the state.

“Our peaceful protest is a call to action: ensure criminals no matter how highly placed, or those they exist to protect are picked up and made to face the due process of law.”

Atsuwete was gruesomely murdered by unknown assassins on Monday September 29 in Aluu in Ikwerre local government area of the state.

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more